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Rapids

"Rapids and Cascade" Between Grand Falls and Crooked Falls

Date and photographer unknown.

This stretch of rapids and pitches is nearly three miles above Grand Falls, and a little over one mile below Crooked Falls. It could be the "Rapids and cascade of about 10 feet descent" that Clark indicated on his map of the falls, below the "Deep Ravine."

On June fifteenth, 1805, Lewis had noted the significance of the ravines seen in this photo.

I had discovered from my journey yesterday that a portage on this side of the river will be attended by much difficulty in consequence of several deep ravines which intersect the plains nearly at right angles with the river to a considerable distance, while the South side appears to be a delighfull smoth unbroken plain; the bearings of the river also make it p[r]obable that the portage will be shorter on that side than on this.

The ravines downstream near the Grand Falls are even deeper and longer than these.

At left, on the horizon, is the smokestack built in 1908 by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company to vent sulfurous fumes from the smelter built at Black Eagle Falls in the early 1890s. It was demolished in 1938.